Last week we just got back from a super fun trip to Bandung, which we will share on the next post and after that refreshing trip, we're ready to get back to work! So today, we wanna share about this restaurant in good ol' Pantai Indah Kapuk! Popular in Singapore, they decided to open a branch here in Jakarta, right next to Fish & Co.! Can you guess what it is? Yeap, it's NamNam Noodle Bar!
Some of you might already know what Nam Nam is but for those who's still clueless, Nam Nam is a noodle bar with Vietnamese roots, so you'll find Pho and Bahn Mi. Their pride lies in their no MSG policy, also quick and affordable food. Well, let's find out if it's true!
The kitchen here also work as a bar table, which I think is the interpretation of a 'noodle bar', so you'll eat noodle on a bar table! Lol!
They don't really have much space between tables, which made the place look less spacious, similar to a casual Chinese restaurants!
This is the most inner part of the building, which is much comfortable than the outer part, cause it can get a bit too crowded there and for someone who doesn't like crowded places, that's just hell!
You'll also see some pictures of a small part of Vietnam's culture all over the place!
Here's the outer part, see how crowded it is! Behind the guy with a mic, who I think is the founder or someone important like that, is the entrance. Yes, it's all glass, so expect a lot of natural light in day time!
Another bits of Vietnam culture right there on the coaster!
Isn't their logo the cutest? :D Right in the middle of their menu book. Everything here is still very neat and you can just tell it's new!
In every table, these condiments are available. I don't really know about the others but the essentials are that An Pho and Ot Pho sauce, which is, if I'm not mistaken, hoisin and Sriracha hot chili sauce. It's just a guess though, because those 2 are the most basic sauces when it comes to Pho. Add those 2 to your Pho! It's a must!
CRISPY FRIED PRAWN & CHICKEN ROLLS IDR 35K
One of their small plates, which is kinda similar to spring rolls. It's filled with prawns and chicken and it's super good! My favorite dish out of all the small plates!
COCONUT-SHRIMP PASTE SUGARCANE SKEWER IDR 35K
Though it looks a lot like chicken drumsticks, it's shrimp, people! Don't let your vision fool you! The skewer is made of sugarcane, so it gives off a slightly sweet flavor. The whole thing's a bit too tasteless for me but that's where the sauce comes in!
CRISPY CHICKEN WINGS IDR 35K
Caramelized roasted onion-flavoured fish sauce, sesame seeds, pickles.
It's caramelized chicken wings. little can go wrong with this one. Though it's a bit spicy, I can't help but fall in love with those crispy skin covered with delicious sauce! Yum!
CRISPY FRIED BANANA IDR 28K
W/ sesame seeds & coconut sauce.
I know I'm disrupting the flow of dining with jumping right into desserts but I think this should be in one of the small plates category. It's just your typical fried banana topped with caster sugar but what's different is when you dip it into the coconut sauce! My first time trying it and it's surprisingly good!
FRESH SOUTHERN ROLLS IDR 28K
W/ prawn, fresh herbs, peanut sauce.
For someone who's not that into eating fresh herbs, this is a totally weird experience! Without the sauce, it's tasteless but the sauce is just too strong and even though I love peanut sauce, this is a peanut sauce I wouldn't want to have too many of!
...and this is just the beginning!
SALAD OF WHITE CABBAGE IDR 38K
W/ fish cake, grilled chicken, fresh herbs, peanuts.
At first, I was a bit taken aback by the cabbage dominating the whole plate but my friends kept saying how good it is, so I decided to give it a try and it really IS good!! I especially love the sauce, it's not too sour but just perfectly refreshing. You'll also find a lot of chicken meat in it with generous fish cakes that made the cabbage taste not so dominant. Deliciously healthy!
SAUTEED LEMONGRASS BEEF IDR 58K
W/ cream cheese, beef floss.
All I can say is their Banh Mi is their strongest point! At least, that's the case for this particular one. The bread is not too hard nor soft, just the perfect texture for a Banh Mi. Don't expect the beef to be little, cause it's really a generous amount! I also thought that they won't put that much beef but how wrong I was! You should definitely try this, it's superb!
PHO KAMPONG CHICKEN SPECIAL IDR 65K
sliced chicken, soft boiled egg, liver, gizzard.
I chose this because in the menu, this looks the most intriguing and there's a soft boiled egg in it! Can't deny that I'm disappointed when it came out like this, I was really expecting the egg yolk to still be intact. Good thing that it tasted better than it looks, yet it's not as good as the rumor says it to be. The soup's okay and it's better that you mix the 2 sauce I told you before. There's also a lot of chicken meat in it and the portion is really huge, so you surely will be full, just that I was expecting something more extravagant!
Pho uses rice flour noodles, which might be more familiar in the term 'kwetiau'.
DRY SAUTEED LEMONGRASS BEEF NOODLE IDR 65K
With rice vermicelli, spring roll, shrimp paste, bean sprouts, chopped herbs, peanuts.
This is one of their dry noodles and it uses a sour sauce, so it's more like eating pickled dish. It's similar to Indonesian food 'Asinan Betawi' with it's veggies and peanuts and the slightly sour taste. Might not be my favorite but they're really refreshing and just gives of a healthy feeling!
PHO BEEF COMBINATION IDR 75K
beef steak slices (served medium rare), beef balls, beef shank, tendon, honeycomb tripe.
Or in other words, it's the most complete one! I, personally think that this one's the best deal of all, since with just a slight gap of price you'd get everything. I do admit the meat is exquisitely good and tender! Don't really know why there's honeycomb in it but I guess that's just their secret weapon. All I know that it's delicious!
SOFTSHELL CRAB NOODLE SOUP IDR 110K
W/ rice noodles, crab cake, tofu, tomato, bean sprouts, chopped herbs.
Okay, IDR 110K for a noodle is really not what I expect. So it uses softshell crab, still doesn't do any justice on the pricing! The taste's even mediocre, not like it's crazy good or something but oh well!
PHO WAGYU BEEF SLICES IDR 130K
Served medium rare.
The winner of the most expensive noodle here! Uses medium rare wagyu but it doesn't look medium rare to me. Guess it's just served medium rare but since the soup is hot the meat got cooked overtime! Taste of the soup and noodle are all the same, so the only different of each menu is just the topping, whereas for this one, they put generous amount of wagyu beef in it, so it's oughta be good!
So...overall it tastes good but it's not as amazing as what people say. I was putting such a high expectation because of the rumors and that's what made me disappointed! I'm not saying that it tastes bad but that you shouldn't set your standards too high. I'd recommend their small plates menu more, since most of it is good and there's also this dessert called Caramel Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream IDR 58K, really recommend this one but it's too bad I didn't take any photos of it. It's served with a Viet espresso, so it's somewhat like an affogato and it's super yummy!
Bukit Golf Mediterania
Ruko Crown Golf Blok D no. 21 & 23
Jl. Marina Indah Raya
Pantai Indah Kapuk
Jakarta Utara
Opening Hours :
Everyday : 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
WEBSITE
good blog
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